Marvel’s The Punisher Jon Bernthal Interested In A Thunderbolts TV Series With Ghost Rider

Is it time for Marvel Television to bring the Thunderbolts to the small screen? Both Jon Bernthal and Gabriel Luna have stated that they want to see the Punisher and Ghost Rider team-up in a series.

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Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) are forming The Defenders on Netflix later this year. However, the Punisher who made his debut in Daredevil Season 2 is noticeably absent from the line-up.

However, his exclusion could lead to better things like, perhaps, teaming with other superheroes. At Phoenix Comic Con, both Bernthal and Luna were asked about the possibility of getting a Thunderbolts TV series.

Luna, who plays the role of Robbie Reyes a.k.a. Ghost Rider in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was first to mention that cross-series team-up in his panel, reported Screen Rant. He stated that he would “love to do a Thunderbolts series with the Punisher and Elektra (Elodie Yung) on Netflix.”

In his own panel, Bernthal was asked about the team-up. The actor said he would be interested in more stories about Frank Castle, but the script has to be good.

This, of course, does not mean that Marvel Television would rush to the drawing boards and develop Thunderbolts for TV. Bernthal is still yet to star in his solo series on Netflix simply titled Marvel’s The Punisher. Fans are also hoping to see Luna have his own superhero adventures on Netflix as Ghost Rider. As for Elektra, she will next appear in The Defenders later this year.

The Thunderbolts is a superhero team made up of reformed supervillains and antiheroes seeking redemption. Aside from Punisher and Ghost Rider, the team also welcomed popular comic book characters such as Hawkeye, Black Widow, the Winter Soldier and even Deadpool. Considering how the Marvel Studios heroes are barred from appearing in Marvel Television properties and Deadpool is under Fox, these other superheroes are unlikely to join the live-screen adaptation of Thunderbolts if it ever happens.

Marvel’s Punisher Season 1 Details

There are some things that you can't forget, no matter how hard you try.

Frank Castle’s first solo superhero adventure has wrapped up filming in New York earlier this year. As of this writing, Netflix is yet to announce an exact release date, but director Dearbhla Walsh shared to The Hollywood Reporter that the series will arrive online this November.

“One other time that hasn’t been aired yet, which was an episode for the new Marvel series The Punisher, which I did just before Christmas, but it’s not airing until November. I directed that in New York and edited in L.A.,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Ben Barnes talked to W Magazine about his experience on the set of Bernthal’s first solo superhero series. While he could not divulge important plot or details about his character, the actor described the incredible passion behind the series.

“There was a lot of night work and lot of action and a lot of cold nights, and a lot of the aggressive passion,” he said. “You have to give it anything when you are around that energy.”

Barnes was cast as Billy Russo, a friend of Frank Castle from the Special Forces. Nowadays, the character runs a private military corporation called “Anvil.”

Marvel’s The Punisher Season 1 will also star Deborah Ann Woll who will reprise her role as Karen Page. Meanwhile, Ebon Moss-Bachrach signed up as David Lieberman a.k.a. Micro, the closest thing to a sidekick the Punisher will ever have. Jason R. Moore, Michael Nathanson, Jaime Ray Newman, Amber Rose Revah, Paul Schulze, Danie Webber and Kelli Barrett also appear.